How Collaborations Unlock My Creativity

Neon Notes — Week [17]

Making music alone is great. I can just be in my own head, getting lost in ideas. It's perfect for an introvert like myself, but sometimes I have to push against my comfort zone. Especially if I want to work with other people.

And up until I had my first collaboration, I had no idea the ideas and creativity that could spark from that.

New people means new ideas, decisions I might not have made had I been alone.

Hearing input that another producer or artist has totally changed the way I think about music production.

I knew that in order to get better and perfect my craft, I couldn't do it alone.

When I'm working alone, I am most comfortable, but this comes with certain downfalls. I tend to just do the same thing I've always done when I produce a song. There is nothing wrong with that, but I think I would just stagnate if I just always produced alone.

Collaborations forced me to look at music from someone else's perspective.

While I might not agree with every choice that a collaborative partner makes, I at least get to see things in ways that I probably never would've noticed.

For example, I was working on a collaboration for the song Cold Front with an artist and another producer.

I went into the project with solid ideas on how I wanted to produce, but after talking with my partners, I completely changed the way that I processed the vocals. Instead of heavily processed pop type vocals, we opted for less processing and a more intimate sound.

The song itself is still a retro inspired track similar to my other songs, but with a little less super processed vocal. And that is a decision I would not have made had I been on my own.

We also opted to use a real bass guitar for the main body of the song instead of my usual synth bass. This changed the dynamic, and also changed the way I had to mix the song slightly.

Another thing is the excitement. Working with another person can build momentum quickly. One idea leads to another, and then another. And soon, we're feeding off of each other's excitement, and there is no better feeling than that.

Collaborations also force me to make quicker decisions. Simply having another person involved prevents me from sitting on an idea too long. I have to make deliberate decisions in order to keep the group dynamic moving forward.

Just getting out of my own head every once and awhile, and letting someone else hear my idea is sometimes all it takes to unlock new ideas.

Plus, I can adapt my sound in new and different ways, and that's exciting on its own.

So don't be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone, you never know where it can lead.

Now Creating

• Steady music releases on the way
• Website is on hold for now (Personal Reasons)
• Still updating old artwork

Thanks for reading.
If you have thoughts about any of this, I’d love to hear them.

This post is part of my weekly Neon Notes series. New posts go live every Wednesday.

Why I Don't Wait Until I Feel Inspired

Neon Notes — Week [16]

There is nothing better than having inspiration when doing something creative. Ideas flow effortlessly, stress is almost non existent, you're just doing whatever it is that you love.

But what if you're not in the mood? What if you just have no desire to be creative?

Sometimes it's best to just do something else.

But often times, I open my DAW anyway. Not to force myself to make something, but to just sound design for a while, or organize some of your sounds. Maybe tweak your template.

I do these things when I don't feel inspired, but guess what. I often start making a song because something hits me while I'm doing these necessary yet mundane things.

In the back of my mind, I know that if I at least open my DAW, there's a chance that something might spark. At the very least, I can get some other work done.

I also do this to stay sharp and improve my productions. I think that at least doing something related to your creative outlet can only be a positive.

When I first started, I just had idea after idea. As soon as I was done with a song, I was right into the next one. For over 2 years, I just kept coming up with songs. Were they chart toppers? Absolutely not, but I was getting better with every song.

As I started to run out of instant ideas, I had two choices. Wait until I had inspiration, or do some form of work around the music. I chose to do something related to music more often than not.

I have more experience now, and it would be ok if I waited for inspiration, but I still jump into the DAW almost daily.

And more often than not, something valuable is gained from doing this.

I come out of it with a new synth design, or a drum pattern. And often times, I come away with the beginnings of a new song.

At the very least, I did something that might help me in the future.

You don't always have to be inspired to start, but sometimes inspiration happens after you begin.

Now Creating

• Several new songs coming soon
• More collabs coming soon
• Refining my sound

Thanks for reading.
If you have thoughts about any of this, I’d love to hear them.

This post is part of my weekly Neon Notes series. New posts go live every Wednesday.